27
VIN
Siena and Giovanna are throwing a late one-year birthday party for the babies at Dragovari Tower. Not something that would usually hit my radar, but Siena has been texting me about it re-fucking-lentlessly for the last three days.
And Sophie’s going to be here. So I’m here.
Matti’s place is filling up with people. Balloons everywhere. Not much food though. I wonder if Sophie is bringing some. What am I saying? Of course she is.
But I don’t get how this is a baby birthday party. It’s all adults and so much fucking noise that the babies aren’t even fucking here. I pour myself a drink and settle into the far corner of a couch that gives me a good view of the door.
I’m on my second whiskey when fucking Gavin walks in.
I go very still.
He’s carrying a gift bag in each hand, wrapped in yellow tissue paper, a bottle of wine tucked under his arm. He looks comfortable, like he thinks he fucking belongs here. Like he’s among friends.
He’s fucking not.
He scans the room and when he spots me, the dumb ass grin on his face fades. If I didn’t hate him so much, I’d like that.
“Vin.” He juggles the bags in his arms and awkwardly extends a hand to me. “Good to see you.”
I hold his gaze and ignore his outstretched hand. ”Gavin.”
He withdraws his hand with a small sigh, glancing over his shoulder. Is he looking for Sophie? Where is she? He sets the gifts down on the table beside me and tucks the wine under his arm again. “Been meaning to get that refund back to you, actually.”
I look at him flatly. “What are you talking about?”
“Sophia’s place. The linen contract you set up.” He’s pleasant about it, easy, no agenda visible on his face. “She decided to go a different way and the bill decreased, so there are some upfront payments that need to come back to you.”
Fucking hate him speaking for her.
“Keep it,” I say, looking down at my phone, done with this conversation.
He laughs. “Well, I can’t do that. We’re all practically family atthis point, right? Can’t do something like that to family.”
The word lands in my chest like a lit match.Family.
I glare at him. “Are we?”
“I mean—” He pauses and adjusts uncomfortably. “You’re marrying into my family, and Sophie and I are—”
I stand slowly in front of him, a few inches taller than he is and more than a few inches wider, and he stops.
Matti appears at my elbow from nowhere. He doesn’t say anything, and I can’t tell if he’s backing me up or backing up Gavin and that pisses me off all over again.
Tommy clears his throat from behind me. “If I haven’t said it, congratulations on your engagement, Vin.” His tone is neutral, but when I turn and raise an eyebrow at him, his jaw is set.
When Giovanna appears next to him, her eyes murderous, I know why he made that stupid comment.
“Yes, congratulations on your pending nuptials.” Giovanna says, her voice dripping with condescension. “Vin, can you hand me the present Gavin brought, please?”
I narrow my eyes at her, and she holds my gaze without blinking. I snatch the gift bag off the table and shove it at her.
She takes it with one hand and grabs a fistful of my shirt with the other, pulling me down to her level, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper.
“If you do anything to fuck this up for Sophie, Siena is going to fucking kill you,” she says pleasantly, her smile not moving.“And I am going to help her bury the body, you whorish asshole, no matter what your fiancée and Valentina and any of your other slutty ass side pieces have to say about it.”
